A trip to Angel Island would make the perfect overnight shakedown cruise for Spirit. It will force me to install that Seacook stove I bought a month ago (I hate drilling holes in new boats).
And a tip on Whale one-way valves if you are considering them: They don't work - at least not on the newer M-17s with the drain hoses running through the transom. Spirit's cockpit is constantly awash in backed-up seawater. Singlehanding draws only a cup of water (I'm 6'4" 220# and there's a 60# 4hp Merc hanging off the stern bracket). With three full-sized adults in the cockpit the amount of water sloshing around on the cockpit sole gets ankle deep on the leeward side when beating to windward. I'd call this a design flaw but the current drain configuration is NOT how Lyle Hess originally designed it. My advice is that If your below-the-waterline through-hull configuration keeps the water out then stick with the basic design, but upgrade the materials it if they are suspect. And, if anyone out there is contemplating ordering a new M-17, work out a cockpit drainage solution that obeys the laws of physics. Jim M-17 "Spirit" On Jun 23, 2008, at 11:09 PM, Michael Ray Wisely wrote: > Hey Jim, > > I'm sailing in my front yard right now. I hope to get "Meg" ready > by late > July, early August. I'm going to pull the CB and I'm replacing all > the > exterior teak. Just got back from buying the wood...Teak is at a > whopping > $26 a board ft. yikes...decided to bite the bullet, so I guess I > can't > complain. > I want to do the Angel Island overnight as one of my first sails > when we are > shipshape, but I will get up with you when we get her ready. > > Now: > > Here's a question for everyone out there. My M-17 #383 has the > drains that > are attached to hoses and exit thru and under the waterline. This > concerned > me when I first saw it, but they have appeared to work fine in the > relatively calm conditions that I have been in so far. Any reason > to think > it is not good the way it is? > > I read a lot of info on changing/re-working cockpit drains. Is > there any > reason to? > > > Any thoughts? > > Wish I was sailing right now. > > Soon. > > Michael Ray > M17 The "MEG" > SF Bay > > > _______________________________________________ > http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
